Other Men

Vinicius Jr. believes his fight against racism was part of the reason for not winning Ballon d’Or

MADRID — Brazil and Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr. said on Monday that he will keep on fighting racism even if his activism is what led to him not winning the Ballon d'Or, sources close to the player told Reuters.

Vinicius took to social media after finishing second in the prestigious award voting behind Spain and Manchester City midfielder Rodri.

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti says he’s not losing sleep over upcoming El Clásico

MADRID — Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti said on Friday that he does not fear LaLiga leaders Barcelona but has the utmost respect for Hansi Flick's side, who they host on Saturday.

Barca lead the standings three points ahead of their rivals. While Ancelotti praised Barca's recent form, he highlighted the fact that Real are the defending champions and will not be intimidated.

"Fortunately, at the moment nobody keeps me awake at night," Ancelotti told a press conference on Friday.

Four fans arrested for campaign to spread hate toward Vinícius Jr. online

MADRID — Four people have been arrested and questioned in Spain on suspicion of conducting an online hate campaign encouraging fans to racially abuse Real Madrid star forward Vinicius Jr, police said on Thursday.

The men were detained on Oct. 14 and 15 then released as investigations continued into social media slogans which urged fans to wear face masks so they could insult the Black Brazil international without being identified, police added.

Vini Jr. shows why he deserves Ballon d’Or with stunning hat trick vs. Dortmund in comeback win

MADRID — Real Madrid fought back from two goals down as Vinicius Jr grabbed a hat-trick in a thrilling 5-2 win over visitors Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Tuesday.

In a rematch of last-season's final, Dortmund lit up the game with a two-goal blitz around the half-hour mark from Donyell Malen and Jamie Gittens to silence the Bernabeu crowd.

However, the champions were livelier after the break and broke Dortmund's resistance with Antonio Rüdiger's header on the hour before Vinicius equalized with a close-range strike.

Former Uruguay star Diego Forlán set to make his professional tennis debut

BERLIN — Former Uruguay soccer international Diego Forlán, who played for Manchester United and Atletico Madrid among others, will compete in doubles at the professional Uruguay Open tennis tournament in November, organizers said on Tuesday.

The 45-year-old former striker, a 2010 World Cup semi-finalist, has switched to tennis since his retirement in 2018, playing on the international senior tour.

Diego Forlan tennis debut

England’s new head coach Thomas Tuchel says he’s ready to add a second star on shirt

LONDON — England head coach Thomas Tuchel strode confidently in to Wembley Stadium on Wednesday with a single-minded vision to win the 2026 World Cup for the success-starved soccer nation.

A whirlwind week has seen the 51-year-old German sign an 18-month contract to lead England to the tournament being played in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Milan forward Alvaro Morata forced to move after mayor doxes him on Instagram

AC Milan striker Alvaro Morata's plan to live in a quaint village on the outskirts of the city has been ditched after the mayor revealed the Spain captain was moving into the locality in a social media blooper.

According to Italian media reports, Morata chose to buy a house in Corbetta but the ecstatic mayor Marco Ballarini failed to keep the details to himself.

The mayor revealed in an Instagram post on Wednesday that the striker, who won the European Championship with Spain in July, is their newest resident.

Morata mayor beef

Bukayo Saka says Arsenal will win Premier League this year as Gunners look to end 21-year drought

Arsenal can go all the way and end their 21-year wait for a Premier League title this season, winger Bukayo Saka said after his side beat Ligue 1 champions Paris St Germain 2-0 in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Arsenal finished runners-up in 2022-23 and took the Premier League title race to the final day last season before once again finishing second behind Manchester City.

Watch: Cole Palmer makes history with four goals in the first half vs. Brighton

LONDON — Chelsea's Cole Palmer scored four first-half goals, including a stunning long-range free kick and a penalty, in a breathless 4-2 Premier League victory over Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday.

Thierry Henry’s France fall to Spain in thrilling 8-goal gold medal game

PARIS — Spain secured the gold medal in the Olympic men's soccer tournament after Sergio Camello scored twice in extra time to earn a dramatic 5-3 win over hosts France in a nail-biting final at Parc des Princes on Friday.

The teams were locked at 3-3 at the end of normal time but Camello scored 10 minutes into the extra period and scored another at the end to earn Spain their first Olympic title since 1992.

Pages